Shoe and process of making the same



. 1,521,338 J. E. SWANSON SHOE AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Eiled Jan. 25, 1924 2 Shets-Shee: 1

Invenior. John E. Swansnn J. EqswAN'soN SHOE AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 25, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenior.

m m M A 6 WW 5 n an O J Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES v PATENT oFFicE.

I SWANSO'N, OF JAMAICA PLAIN. MASSACHUSETTS. ASSIGNOR TO JOHN E.

JOHN E.

'SWANSON, INCL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTfi.

SHOE AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME.

Application filed January 25. 1924. Serial No. 688,604.

To all wlmmv it may concern:

Be it known that I, Join: E. SWANSON, a citizen of the United States. and resident of Jamaica Plain, countyof Suiiolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Tmprovement in Shoes and Processes of Making the Same, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in shoes and the principal object of the invention is to provide a novel method and means for stiiiening the rear portion of the heel of the shoe.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel method and means for stifl'ening the rear portion of the heel of an unlined shoe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe in which the rear ends of the quarters overlap in such a manner as to provide a pocketto receive a counter after the overlapping quarters have been secured together.

' Another object of the invention is to provide an improved moccasin type of shoe embodying the novel stiffening for the rear heel portion.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing a novel form of blank adapted to form the toe portion and preferably also one of the quarters of the moccasin.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe having a novel form of lacing which will surround the ankle and secure the shoe snugly upon the foot with-. out interfering with the flexing of the ankle joint of the foot.

Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a completed shoe of the moccasin type embodying the .invention Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the heel portion of the shoe on line 2-2 Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the blanks tudin ally of the shoe in parallelism with t e sole and slightly above it;., and,

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the rear end portions of the quarters overlapping and illustrating the manner in which the overlapping portions of the quarter are secured together to provide a pocket for the counter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated herein as applied to a shoe of the moccasin type in which an integral sheet of suitable material, such as, soft leather underlies the footin place of the usual in-solcL-and the edge portion of the sheet extends upwardly along the sides and over the toe of the foot to form a part of the vamp. Preferably the sheet has an extension which forms one of the quarters of the shoe, the other quarter being secured at its front end to the vamp portion and at its rear end to the quarter which forms an integral part of the sheet.

The moccasin illustrated herein, which embodies the present invention, comprises a sheet of material, such as,.soft leather having a general heart-shaped body portion 1, as illustrated in Fig. 3, which underlies the toe portion of the foot in place of the insole and the edge portion of which is turned upwardly to form the vamp 2. The rear portion of the body 1 is cut to form a reentrant angle 3 having curved edges 4 and 5 which terminate in an apex6 approximately at the front of the instep portion of the sole. The outer edge 7 presents a curve corresponding to the forward curve of the quarter of the shoe.

In the construction of the shoe the edges 4 and 5 of the re-entrant angle are brought together and stitched firmly. This causes eher shoe constructions.

The other quarter 11 of the shoe is illustrated in Fig. 4 and is provided at'its front end with an extension 12 complementary to the extension 9 of the other quarter and likewise provided with an eyelet 13. The forward end of the quarter 11 presents a curved edge 14 which is complementary to the curved edge 7 of the body of the sheet 1 so that when the curved edge 14 of the quarter 11 is secured to the curved edge 7 and the edges 4 and 5 of the re-entrant cutout portion 3 are secured together the body will be provided with two rearwardly extending quarters which are partially turned up by reason of the curvature roduced in the body when the re-entrant e ges 4 and 5 are secured together.

The particular form of the blank illustrated in Fig. 3 with the re-entrant cut-out portion constitutes one of the features of the invention, as heretofore various complicated constructions have been provided to accomplish the same general purpose.

The principal object of the invention as before stated is to provide 'a novel means for stiffening the rear heel portion of the shoe. In usual constructions the rear edges of the quarters are joined togetherand usually to a backstay where a stiffener is provided and a piece stitched upon the inside of the shoe to form a pocket to receive a counter.

In the present invention a suitable pocket to receive the counter is provided by overlapping the rear ends of the counters and so uniting them together as to form a suflicient space therebetween to receive the counter, the under edges of the quarters being lasted beneath the counter, thus holding it firmly in place.

In the present embodiment of the invention the rear edges of the respective quarters are provided with reverse curves which expand outwardly from the upper edge toward the bottom edge of the quarter so that when the shoe is assembled and the edges of the quarters stitched to the overlapping and underlapping portions respectively of the other quarter an ornamental form of backstay is simulated.

In the blank illustrated in Fig. 3 the rear end of the quarter 8 is provided with a reversely curved edge 15 of the character abovedescribed and desirably is provided with a reversely curved marked line16 of similar curvature and s mmetricall disposed with relation to -t e central ine 17 of the rear of the heel. The other quarter 11 (see Fig 2) likewise is provided with a marked line 18 corresponding to the line 15 which is equally spaced throughout its length from the center line 17 of the rear of the heel of the shoe, with respect to the marked line 16. The rear end of the quar ter, however, presents a curved edge '19 which while identical in curvature with the edge 15 diverges a greater distance from the rear central line of the heel 17 so that the lower edge portion 20 from the line 18 to the line 19 is greater than the distance 21 between the line 18 and the lower end of the line 15 upon the other quarter.

In the process of making the shoe the end portion of the quarter 8 is placed upon the quarter 11 preferably upon the inside thereof in such a manner that its edge 15 coincides with the line 18 upon the quarter 11' .and the quarters secured together by a line of stitching 22 which joins the upper overlapping edges of the quarter and a continuation 23 thereof which extends parallel to and closely adjacent the edge 15 of the quarter. This line of stitching appears upon the ouside of the shoe and presents the appearance of the edge of an ornamental backstay.

stitching the overlapping edge 19 of the quarter 11 to the quarter 8 the edge is gradually drawn baekwardly toward the center line 17 of the heel as the stitching progresses from the. upper edge of the quarter to the lower edge so that when the edge 19 is finally secured to the underlying quarter 8 the line of stitching 25 will be symmetrical with respect to the center line 17 of the rear of the shoe and an ornamental backstay simulated. By thusdrawing in the outer overlapping endof the quarter 11 a pocket is provided at therear of the heel into which a counter 26 may .be. inserted from the bottom. The counter 26 desirably is of a shapev corresponding to the general form I beyond the edge of the vamp and theouter sole 28-is secured to the slip-sole by a line of stitching 29 extending around the shoe.

instep.

The usual mid-vamp30 may then be secured along its edge to the upper edge 31 of the up-turned portion of the vamp, the midvamp 30 as usual being provided with an extension 32 forming the tongue of the shoe.

By the method thus described a novel form of moccasin is produced which is provided with a stifi'ener for the rear portion of the heel. The construction is such that the heel of an unlined shoe can be properly stiffened or the usual shoe lining may be applied if so desired. Obviously the same method may be employed for securing the overlapping ends of the counterstogether to provide a pocket therebetween to receive the counter in other types of shoes than the moccasin which is particularly described herein within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing a novel lacing for the shoe. It has been heretofore mentioned that eyelets 10 and 13 are provided in the extensions 9 and 12 of the quarters 8 and 11. Other eyelets 33 and 34 are provided adjacent the upper edge of the vamp approximately midby the line of stitching 22, this loop providin in effect a pull strap and also an additional eye for the lacing. The lacing desirably is in the form of a strap 36 the central portion of which passes directly through the eyelets 10 and 13, across the forward instep portion of the foot; the ends of the lacing strap then cross over the instep and pass through the eyelets 33 and 34 respectively, one end being then carried up around the ankle and through the loop 35 and detachably secured to the other end by a buckle 37. The arran ment of the eyelets and back loop strap a ve described provides a novel, secure'and attractive means for lacing theshoe or moccasin which causes the shoe to conform more closely to the foot than in previous constructions y reason the fact that the transverse central portion of the lacing .firm'lydraws the extensions 9 and 12 down upon the forward portion of the instep. The lacing then crossing the 'upper instep portion of the foot and passing thrloilgh the eyelets. 33 and 34 and thence up-. I

wa y and around the ankle draws the rear rtion of the shoe firmly against the foot, w ile the loop 35 throng which the laci passes prevents the heel portion of the 7 0e from It will be-not that the eyelets 33 and 34 are located almost directly under the anklejoint so that the flexure of the ankle joint in walking does not impose an additional strain upon the lacing strap an much more freedom of the foot is secured than in usual forms of lacing which passes around the ankle.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is of an illustrative character and is not restrictive and that various modifications in form, 0011- sing an upper with 2. An unlined shoe comprising an upper with quarters overlapping at the rear of the shoe and a counter located between the overlapping portions of the quarters.

3. A shoe com rising an upper with quarters symmetrica 1y overlapping at the rear of the shoe and having upwardly converging end edges, a line of stitching joining the edge of each overlapping quarter to the other quarter to form a pocket between the overlapping portions of, said quarters and presenting an appearance simulating a backstay and a counter located in said pocket.

4. A shoe comprising an up er with quarters overlapping at the rear 0 the shoe, stitching joining the edges of the overlapping portions of each quarter to the other quarter and a counter located between and held in place by the overlapping portions of the quarters and between the edges of the quarters.

5. A shoe comprising an upper with quarters having u per and lower edges and marginal edges joming said upper and lower edges, the marginal ed es and ortions of the upper and lower e ges over apping inform a pocket, a'strap having an end lying within the pocket and extending between said overlapping portions of the upof per edges to the outsideof the shoe and a counter within the cket.

'6. In the method bf makin a shoe, the steps which comprise provi ing quarter blanks so shaped that when in lace the quarters will overlap at the rear. 0 the heel,

placing the quarters in position with por-.

tions of each-quarter. overlapping the other "quarter, fastening an eddge 0 an P each quarter lacing a counter to the other quarter,

the overlapping portions of the between quarters. I

7. In the method of m 1" steps which comprise provi blankssoshapedthatwheninplacethe shoe, the

quarter? ltlll thus formed and securing the lower edges of both quarters to a sole. v

8. In the method of making a moccasin the steps which comprise providing a quarter blank havin a generally heart-shaped body portion with a forwardly extending recess'having re-entrant convexedly curved edges and having an extension forming one of the quarters of the moccasin, scour-- ing another quarter of slightly greater length to the rear outer edge of the body, stitching together the curved re-entrant edges of the recess of the body thereby causing the outer edges of the body and quarters to bend upwardly, overlapping the edges of the quarters, stitching the underlying end of the shorter quarterto. the overlapping quarter and drawing in and stitching the edge of the longer overlapping quarter of the underlying quarter to form a pocket, inserting a counter in the pocket thus formed and securing said body and the lower edges of the quarters to 'a sole.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to'this specification.

JOHN E. SWANSON. 

